Kellogg’s Is Taking the Government to Court Over Putting Milk in Cereal

Cereal magnate Kellogg’s is taking the government to court over eating dry cereal. Well, kinda.

As reported by the Grocer, the maker of Frosties, cornflakes, Coco Pops, et alia is disputing the legality of new High Fat Salt Sugar (HFSS) legislation which comes into force in October. As applied, it would demote Kellogg’s products as currently formulated from promotions and prime shelf estate because of their sugar content.

The legislation, however, is derived from fairly old technical advice published in 2011, which dictates judging the nutritional content of cereals “as sold”: dry. Kellogg’s contends that because cereal is almost always eaten with milk — indeed, 28 percent of milk consumed across the nation per year comes out of a bowl filled with flaky grains — it should be judged “as consumed”: wet. Except by strange people. Or those who want to eat this cereal.

“We believe the formula being used by the government to measure the nutritional value of breakfast cereals is wrong and not implemented legally,” said Kellogg’s UK MD Chris Silcock. Obesity campaigners, however, take the view that Kellogg’s is taking the mick out of well-meaning legislation. Barbara Crowther, of Sustain’s Children’s Food Campaign, said that “What they propose seems not just perverse but also unworkable in practice. We’re dismayed that a household name company should choose to deploy these diversionary, delaying tactics.”

Ultimately, the challenge is unlikely to succeed, and Kellogg’s will have to suffer the impact of the new laws. Truly, it would rather have a bowl of Coco Pops.